ViSA: Visualization of sorting algorithms

Algorithm analysis and design is a great challenge for both computer and information science students. Fear of programming, lack of interest and the abstract nature of programming concepts are main causes of the high dropout and failure rates in introductory programming courses. With an aim to motivate and help students, a number of researchers have proposed various tools. Although it has been reported that some of these tools have a positive impact on acquiring programming skills, the problem still remains essentially unresolved. This paper describes ViSA, a tool for visualization of sorting algorithms. ViSA is an easy-to-set-up and fully automatic visualization system with step-by-step explanations and comparison of sorting algorithms. Design principles and technical structure of the visualization system as well as its practical implications and educational benefits are presented and discussed.